Liquid crystal display device having backlight with reflective member

Abstract

This invention provides a liquid crystal display device where the brightness of the backlight can be prevented from lowering when the liquid crystal display device and its frame are thin. The liquid crystal display device has a liquid crystal display panel and a backlight for radiating light on the rear of the liquid crystal display panel, and is characterized in that the backlight has light emitting diodes LED that are secured on one surface of a flexible printed circuit FPC and a light guide plate for guiding light emitted from the light emitting diodes, the flexible printed circuit has openings in a portion between the light emitting diodes and the light guide plate, which extends partly over the light emitting areas (EA) of the light emitting diodes, and a reflective member is provided on the other surface of the flexible printed circuit so as to cover the openings.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A liquid crystal display device having a liquid crystal display panel and a backlight for radiating light on the rear of the liquid crystal display panel, characterized in that
 the backlight comprises light emitting diodes that are secured on one surface of a flexible printed circuit and a light guide plate secured on the one surface of the flexible printed circuit for guiding light emitted from the light emitting diodes, 
 the flexible printed circuit has an opening therethrough extending in a portion between the light emitting diodes and the light guide plate, the opening in the flexible printed circuit extending partly over the light emitting area of the light emitting diodes, and 
 a reflective member is provided on the other surface of the flexible printed circuit so as to cover the opening in the flexible printed circuit. 
 
     
     
       2. The liquid crystal display device according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the reflective member is also a light blocking sheet for blocking light around the edges of the backlight. 
     
     
       3. The liquid crystal display device according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the opening is a rectangular slit and longer than the light emitting area of the light emitting diodes, or a trapezoid slit that is longer on the light guide plate side than on the light emitting diode side. 
     
     
       4. The liquid crystal display device according to  claim 1 , wherein the opening in the flexible printed circuit includes a first side portion extending substantially in parallel to a light emitting face of a respective one of the light emitting diodes and a second side portion of the opening which faces the first side portion of the opening and extending substantially in parallel to an edge face of the light guide plate facing the light emitting face. 
     
     
       5. The liquid crystal display device according to  claim 4 , wherein the reflective member extends so as to at least cover the first and second side portions of the opening in the flexible printed circuit.